Maryland's Tiered Reimbursement Program pays differential payments to providers who meet published child care quality standards and who participate in the state's Child Care Subsidy Program by accepting subsidy vouchers.

Before July 2013, the Tiered Reimbursement Program was housed within the MSDE Office of Child Care's Child Care Subsidy Program. It is now housed within MSDE/OCC's Maryland EXCELSProgram, which administers the state’s Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System. Going forward, eligibility for participation in the Tiered Reimbursement Program will be contingent on participation in the Maryland EXCELS Program.

Child care providers that were approved to participate in the Tiered Reimbursement Program prior to July 2013 have had their approval certificates extended for a period of one year, whether or not they were participating in Maryland EXCELS. However, programs that are not currently participating in Maryland EXCELS must sign up to participate in Maryland EXCELS before the expiration date of their current Tiered Reimbursement approval certificates. A provider that decides not to participate in Maryland EXCELS will no longer be eligible to receive tiered reimbursement after the expiration date on the approval certificate.A provider participating in the Maryland EXCELS Program is assigned a quality rating level based upon an evaluation of the certain documentation submitted by the provider. Tiered reimbursement is one of the many incentives under Maryland EXCELS. So once the provider's Maryland EXCELS quality rating level is determined, the amount of tiered reimbursement that the provider can receive will depend on the quality rating level that the provider has reached.

To be eligible for tiered reimbursement/subsidy differential payments, a provider must achieve a Maryland EXCELS quality rating at level 3, 4, or 5. For more information about the Tiered Reimbursement Program, quality rating levels, and differential payment amounts, clickhere.

For further information about Maryland EXCELS and to register to participate, visit the Maryland EXCELS website at: www.marylandexcels.org.